Will the Cleveland Indians help the Los Angeles Dodgers stack their deck with aces?
The teams are engaged in trade talks centering around one or more of Indians starting pitchers Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Thursday, citing sources.
Sources: #Dodgers and #Indians trade talks remain ongoing this week, as @Ken_Rosenthal first reported. If a deal is reached, a Cleveland starter — Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer — likely would go to L.A. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 29, 2018
The Dodgers want to bolster their rotation below incumbent ace Clayton Kershaw in an effort to cross the World Series finish line triumphantly, instead of in defeat as has been the case the past two seasons.
Kluber, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner and three-time All-Star, would fill the Dodgers’ aforementioned need if he maintains the lofty standards he has set over the past five seasons.
Carrasco went 17-10 last season with a 3.38 ERA and 231 strikeouts in 192 innings. He never has finished high in the Cy Young Award voting but he was tied with Kluber for the AL in wins in 2017 with 18.
Bauer’s 2018 numbers — 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 175 innings — earned him sixth place in the Cy Young voting and he was an All-Star. At age 27, he’s younger than Carrasco, 31, and Kluber, 32, and probably still can improve.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers would have to offer the Indians an impressive package in exchange for any one of their trio of talented starters. We now must wait to see whom the Dodgers might include in such an offer.
